The brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa (Araneae: Sicariidae), is a common household pest in the Midwestern United States. It is mainly nocturnal and is capable of inflicting a venomous bite. Its coloration ranges from light to dark brown with markings on the dorsal side of the cephalothorax. L. reclusa spiders have six eyes arranged in three pairs. They average about three-eighths of an inch (9.5 mm) in size.
Spider traps are known to the art, for example as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,048,747, 4,052,811, 4,244,134, 4,324,062, 4,608,774, 4,819,371, 5,513,465, 5,572,825, 5,649,385, 6,786,001 8,341,873, US Patent Publication Nos. 20050138858 and 20050279016, EP Patent Publication No. EP2347759, and PCT Publication No. WO 9615664. Traps containing bait comprising double-stranded RNA for controlling brown recluse spiders are mentioned in EP Patent No. EP0659339, and described as box-shaped and made of a material such as corrugated cardboard with a sticky substance coating the material. At least one Loxosceles species prefers refuges that offer acute angles (Stropa 2010).
Glue-traps have been sold commercially for capture of not only arachnids but also flying insects, rodents, and reptiles. Glue-traps have also been used for estimating the population of beetle infestations (e.g., Hagstrum et al. 1994). In addition, glue-traps have been used to estimate brown recluse populations inside residential housing (Vetter et al. 2002). A search of the existing literature reveals no studies that compare spider trap designs, even though spider populations have been successfully estimated with glue-traps (Sandidge et al. 2005). Many such traps comprise behavior-altering chemicals such as pesticides and chemical attractants. Homeowners, however, are often deterred from using chemical pesticides due to possible health risks and environmental side effects.
Many insects are attracted to light, and traps for such insects utilizing light or food or other chemical attractants as bait have been described. However, brown recluse spiders prefer dark places, and many homeowners prefer not to attract human attention to such traps by using light.
There is a particular need for safe and consistent management for the brown recluse spider, Loxosceles reclusa Gertsch & Mulaik, a venomous spider found in large areas of central, eastern, and southern United States, and considered abundant in Kansas (Sandidge and Hopwood, 2005). This spider is a synanthrope and therefore is commonly found in association with human structures (Schenone et al., 1970). The brown recluse spider is venomous and, although bites are uncommon, when they do occur the bite may develop into a necrotic lesion where tissues around the bite break down, creating a slow-healing wound that may leave significant scarring (Anderson, 1982). Therefore, tolerance for brown recluse spiders in homes is very low and homeowners expect 100% control.
It is estimated that most homes in the area of brown recluse distribution are infested by these spiders, and that they are regularly transported to new homes in building materials or in items moved from other structures (Zurek, 2005). L. reclusa has adapted so well to human dwellings that populations can be quite large with one report documenting up to 2,055 brown recluse spiders collected from a 270 m2 Kansas home in a mere six-month time period (Vetter and Barger, 2002).
The brown recluse presents challenges for pest control professionals because it is so difficult to eliminate from structures. There have been few studies conducted to test the efficacy of modern pesticides and treatment methods for brown recluse spider control and the studies that have been conducted often report inconsistent results (Sandidge and Hopwood, 2005). One of the reasons that L. reclusa is so difficult to eliminate from structures is because of their secretive nature. These spiders are nocturnal, webs are typically built in out-of-the-way areas that are rarely disturbed, including difficult to access areas; locations of spiders will differ with each infestation depending on many variables including the layout of the home, temperature and population size (Sandidge and Hopwood, 2005). Additionally, L. reclusa is known to feed on a wide range of insect and other arthropod prey and has been shown to readily feed on dead prey, including freshly killed, dead several months, and even prey killed with insecticides (Sandidge, 2003). They can also survive a long time without food or water. Brown recluse spiders have been shown to live up to ten months in a controlled setting with no food or water and up to six months with no food, water, or fresh air (Sandidge and Hopwood, 2005). In addition, these spiders are long-lived, with an average lifespan of 646 days for males and 794 days for females, under favorable conditions (Elzinga, 1977).
Attempted management of these spiders has included the use of various fumigants and aerosols, many having no data to show they were effective, and which were often applied haphazardly and excessively. Early pesticide trials were contradictory and a number of the chemicals considered somewhat effective or effective are now restricted or banned in the United States (Norment and Pate, 1968; Gladney and Dawkins 1972). For example, Hite et al. (1966) examined the efficacy of 13 topically applied chemicals, including lindane, diazinon, chlordane, malathion, and carbaryl. Of these tested chemicals only lindane, which has since been banned in the U.S., provided significant residual control of the spiders.
There is a need in the art for a trap for spiders and insects, and especially for the dangerous brown recluse spider, that does not use light as an attractant. There is also a need for such traps not containing chemical attractants or other chemical control substances. Because the brown recluse spider is an important arthropod pest in structures, good, safe, consistent control measures are needed in the form of improved methods for controlling their populations in indoor spaces.
All publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference for purposes of written description and enablement.